Above and Beyond
by lexiepedia
Summary: They had something really good going on but after Steve was accused of murdering the governor, he got too caught up in his own life and forgot about the one person who got left behind. When Steve finally realise what he has done, he is determinded to make things right between them. But hurt feelings, competition and insecurities makes it harder than he thought.
1. Chapter 1

Steve had been sitting in his car outside the house for almost thirty minutes, staring at the same green blue door, trying to build up the courage to walk up and knock on it. But something was holding him back. The fear of rejection by the person on the other side of that door, just like they had rejected his phone calls this last week. They had all been trying to get in contact, calling the landline, the mobile, going over to the house hoping someone would answer… They had tried everything but break down the bloody door, but Steve was not that far from it.

Taking one last glance at the door, Steve opened the car-door and walked up to the house with determined steps and a steeled face. He raised his fist and knocked firmly on the door, making sure it would sound through the entire house.

"Kono, open up!" He yelled and held his breath, waiting for an answer. Oh how he longed to hear her voice, he would even settle for a yelled response through the door, as long as he got to hear her voice and make sure she was alright. Something he should have done two weeks ago.

Yes he felt guilty for Kono's dismissal from the force. They were both responsible for taking the money from the forfeiter's locker but she was the only one who had to face the consequences. The team was Ohana, family, and he always protected his family. Only this time he had failed and it only felt worse because it was Kono he had failed.

"Please, Kono open the door!" Steve knocked again, louder this time, but there was still no response or movement from inside. "Open up, Kono!" He yelled with more anger but he still got nothing.

Steve was frustrated to say the least and was two steps down, on the way back to his car, when another idea struck him and made him turn around again. He knocked again at the door, but softly and more calmly this time around.

"Please Nani, open up! I need to know that you are okay!" He pleaded, trying to let his desperation to come out for Kono to hear. She was probably the only person he freely showed his emotions to. And finally he got a reply, a softly spoken plead through the still closed door.

"Go away, Steve!"

"Not until we talk." He said, glad that he had finally got a response.

"There's nothing to say, Steve. I lost my badge, I am no longer a cop and therefor no longer a part of your team, so do me a favour and leave me alone."

"Kono, please!"

"Go away Steve!"

Steve could hear footsteps walk away from the door and he knew that he would not get any further today so he walked back to his car and drove off, taking one last look at the house in the review mirror before it disappeared. It pained him that it had to be like this. Less than a month ago he drove away from her house after he had dropped her off after they had spent the day together at the beach. Things had been so good between them, they were spending time together outside of work just the two of them and he felt completely comfortable around her, with no walls that held him back.

There had always been a connection between the two of them ever since they met for the first time at the beach when Chin introduced them. It was something about her that had drawn him in, she was so open about everything and easy going. She was lethal but there were no nicer person out there, and in the short time Steve had known her, he felt more comfortable with her than with some of the guys he had been in battle with.

Then a couple of weeks ago their relationship changed and became more intense, their playful banter turned flirty and several tender moments and kisses were exchanged whenever they were alone. And Steve could not have been happier, it felt so different from what he had had with Catherine. But then Wo-Fat came along and then he became distracted by Lori, the new Governor's babysitter, while Kono got dismissed from the force. They had not spoken in two weeks and it was slowly getting to Steve, he missed her and just wanted everything to go back to how it had been before. But it couldn't. He had let her down and she had every right to be angry with him.

Steve punched the steering wheel to let out some of the anger and frustration that he felt. How was this fair? The one good thing in his life and he manages to fuck it up while trying to do the right thing. He was two minutes away from home when his phone rang and forced him to turn the car around.

For the first time in history Steve did not want a new case, he just wanted to go home and let out some steam with a massive work out before having another crack at getting to speak to Kono. But being the patriot that he is, he dutifully sucked it up and got to work. He worked it as if it was any other case, methodical and following all the leads, up until the point where everything became personal.

He took two steps at the time as he rushed up the marble staircase in the lobby to the office. How could he not have known? He should have seen the signs, he should have been around to help before things got out of hand, but it seemed as if it was too late and he had messed up once again in such a short time. Chin was already waiting for him in his office when he stormed in, head bowed down in shame. He felt it too, they had let her down and they should have known better. Chin should have said something, Steve would have done everything in his power to get Kono out of the mess she had apparently gotten herself into. She could have been killed today and he would never have gotten the chance to make things right between them, she would die thinking he had let her down and no longer cared about her. And that was not going to happen, he would not let that happen.

"Do you want to tell me in on what's going on?" Steve had already gotten the gist of it over the phone with Lori. She and Chin had been waiting in the motel for Trisha Joiner to turn up when a man had showed up with a gun. There had been a chase and shots had been fired before Chin caught a glimpse of Kono in the getaway car.

"I didn't know it was this bad!" Chin said defeated. This was clearly taking its toll on him as well not talking to Kono, they were tight as thieves. But Steve couldn't really take it in at the moment, he was worried and wound up and all he could focus on was that Chin had had his suspicions and not told him anything.

"Then why don't you tell me what you do know?" Steve had to hold back not to scream.

"I knew what we all knew. Kono lost her badge and now she is in a bad place." Chin said in exasperation. "Steve, she hacked into the HPD-database using my password! When I asked her about it she said she wanted to see her case file."

"What's her connection to Joiner and his money laundry business?!"

"I don't know! I have never seen her with the thug she was with today. She is hanging out with guys like Ray Mapes now."

"Who is Ray Mapes, Chin?!" Was he supposed to know who that was? By the looks on Chin's face it was not a nice guy.

"Ray Mapes is an ex-cop. He lost his badge when he got caught shaking down drug dealers. I figured that was all she felt she was good enough for. I know that feeling."

"How did it get this far huh?! Why didn't she come to us?" Did he really have to ask that? It was pretty obvious why she didn't come to them, she had said the same earlier when he went around to hers. In her eyes she was not a part of the team the minute they let her down and she lost her badge. It was his fault she felt she had to hang with dirty ex-cops and get into situations like these instead of coming to them for help.

"I don't know." Chin replied. "I don't know what she is into. I don't know how deep she is in."

"I don't know if we can protect her anymore! Do you understand that?" He yelled, he was so frustrated and he felt so helpless knowing that he could not get away with half the things he used to.

"I know. I should have told you. I should have… I'm sorry!" Chin didn't have to say it, it was written clearly on his face for Steve to see.

"Did Kono see you today?"

"I don't think so."

Steve got up from his position from the couch and walked out of his office to Danny and Lori who had been watching the entire thing through the glass walls. With a final apologetic look at Chin he spoke, knowing that this was not what any of them wanted to do, but it was the only way he knew.

"Get a lock on Kono's cell, we're bringing her in."

Chin walked out of his office and joined Danny and Lori by the smart-table, leaving Steve alone with his thoughts and some time to calm down. He sat down on his chair behind his desk and though about the last time he had actually seen Kono and talked with her, not to her. It had been three days before everything went to hell and they had been in the middle of a case when it became just the two of them in the office. It was the last time things had been good between them.

 _Steve leaned back in one of the rolling chairs they had around the conference table and closed his eyes. Their perp had done a runner as usual when they turned up to bring him in and it had ended up with him chasing the perp down a small alley way. They reached a dead end and the perp thought it was a good idea to get into a fight. Unfortunately for Steve, this perp knew how to fight and got him right in the face before Steve could take him down. Now he had a sore jaw that ached every time he spoke or twitched._

 _Thankfully Chin had grabbed Danny to go over to Fong in forensics to get some answers from their crime scene, leaving him alone for a few seconds to wallow in self-pity. Steve was just starting to relax when he felt a presence next to him. Opening his eyes he was faced with a concerned looking Kono holding one of the icepacks from the first-aid box. After she got some sort of confirmation, Kono tenderly placed the icepack against his face and held it there._

" _I thought you were made out of steel and could not get hurt." She said teasingly and smiled that smile that did things to him._

" _A moment of weakness." He grinned. "We can't all be super ninjas like you."_

" _Pft." She sneered. "Says the Navy-SEAL!"_

 _He smiled as she started to run her hand that was not busy with the icepack through his hair. It was something she had started one night when she had stayed behind and watched a movie after one of their barbeques with the team. They had somehow drifted closer on the sofa, he was half lying down with his hand on her thigh and her arm was resting at the back of the couch where she was curled up. All of the sudden she was running her hand through his hair, without realising what she was doing. It felt so good that he nuzzled closer to her and before he knew it he had fallen asleep in her lap. When he woke up the next morning he and Kono were lying tangled up on the couch and he had had the best night's sleep ever._

 _Grabbing a hold of Kono's hand he tugged on it until she fell down in his lap and when she tried to get up again, Steve wound his arm around her waist and held her tight._

" _We're at work, Steve!" She admonished him, but he could tell that she really did not mind._

" _Like that's ever stopped you before. Besides, Chin and Danny won't be back for a while so we're fine."_

 _Steve let himself enjoy the sensation of having her in his arms again, and after a while he could feel Kono starting to relax as well. They had not defined what they were. In fact they had not really spoken about it at all. But to Steve that was fine, at least for now. They were enjoying themselves and he didn't feel the need to make it a bigger deal than it is, he didn't want to ruin the good thing they had going. It was all so new anyway, it did not need to be more complicated._

 _After a few minutes of complete silence except from the buzzing noise coming from outside, Kono stirred in his arms before gently removing the icepack from his face to take a look at the damage._

" _That is going to bruise, it is red and a little swollen."_

" _I have had worse." He said with a shrug like it was not that big of a deal, which really it wasn't. It was just a bruised face._

" _I know, don't remind me." Kono muttered. Steve had meant it as a joke to downplay the bruise and play the macho-man everyone said he was, but obviously Kono didn't take it as one and thought about all the times they had to patch him up so he would not fall apart._

" _You're very cute when you are worried, Nani!" Steve used his low and whispery voice, something he had learned very early on that Kono liked._

" _Shut up!" Came her mumbled response. Kono hated being called cute, it did not add up with the front she was trying to build up for herself. No matter what he or the guys did or acted around her, Kono was constantly trying to prove herself to them and to herself that she was just as tough and could the exact same things. But to them there was no doubt in their minds that she could. Most of the time Steve thought that she was tougher than Danny, she did not whine half as much. But not to Kono. She wanted everyone to think that she deserved to be where she was and that she did not just get it because of her cousin. So cute was not a word she liked to be associated with._

" _It's true though!" He loved the slightly red colour that spread across her cheeks at his words and he promised himself he would do that do her as often as he could._

 _The icepack was starting to warm up and didn't really do any difference anymore, so he grabbed it from Kono's hand and threw it onto the table before pulling her closer again. Steve buried his face in Kono's neck and promised himself just five more minutes, since Danny and Chin were bound to turn up soon, and if Danny caught them in this position they would never hear the end of it and Chin would never talk to him again. He might even get a matching bruise on the other side of his face. Though it might be worth it._

Steve hardly recognised Kono as he forced her to come out of the car. Her eyes were dead and held no emotion for him to see. This was not the Kono he knew. The Kono he knew would never drive around in a car with a dead body in the passenger seat, she wouldn't. She would come to them and ask for help, no matter how embarrassing or how big of a mess she had gotten into.

It was so hard pointing the gun at her like she was just another low level thug that he could not do the next downgrading thing and put the cuffs on her as well. He did not think he could handle it so instead he ordered Lori to do it. But that hurt almost just as much when he saw a flash of emotion run across her face. It was disbelief and hurt all at the same time, but it was gone before he could dwell on it and replaced by the same cold and distant look as before. Steve had to stop himself from running over there and unlock the cuffs again before taking her in his arms. Instead he watched as Lori walked Kono over to the car and made her get in in the back.

He still missed her. Seeing her did nothing to diminish that, but he had a feeling that it would not until he had the answers and she had that look back in her eyes. So many feelings were triggered by seeing her again. Anger, sadness, sympathy, affection and more anger. Anger takes the upper hand and by the time they are back at the office Steve is so riled up that he forgets how he is involved in all of this as well. All he can focus on is how she did not come to them, how she turned her back on everything she stood for and how betrayed he feels by her actions.

Steve has to go into the interrogation room by himself. Danny doesn't want to, he flat out refuses, Chin isn't allowed since the Governor is more hands on than ever and Steve doesn't want Lori in there, this has nothing to do with her and he still remembers the look on Kono's face when he made Lori cuff her.

When he walks in Kono just sits there on the chair and stares at the wall in front of her with that cold and empty look, she refused to meet his frustrated stare.

"I want to help you Kono, okay? I really do want to help you, but you got to help me help you, you got to tell me what's going on!"

"I can't!" Her response was forced and quiet. What did she mean she couldn't? Of course she could! It was easy. She just had to open her mouth and talk to him. His anger got the best of him and he slammed on of the chairs hard into the floor.

"Listen to me that is not good enough! I can't is not good enough because today you were driving a getaway car with a dead person in the front seat. This isn't a game, Kono! We are talking about two murders! What were you thinking?! What happened Kono?!" He yelled and came up close in her face, trying to make his point across.

Before he could get any further and take his anger to another level, he was interrupted by Chin who wanted to try, thinking that maybe it would be easier for her to open up family to family. Steve let him try, but could not help but feel sadden. They were family too, weren't they? At least he thought they were, he considered Kono family, especially after what she had come to mean to him. Perhaps she didn't feel the same about him.

Chin did not have any better luck. Kono gave him the same response _"I can't"_ but she did look at him though so that was progress. He stood in the door way, just watching them, and he was just about to join in with the same soft voice that Chin used when Captain Fryer barrelled into the room, the same Captain Fryer that had stripped Kono of her badge.

"Captain Fryer, what the hell are you doing here?"

"You're done here McGarrett. Kono get up!" The man had the nerve to order her around, but it was when Kono actually listened that he lost it.

"Hey, hey!" He exclaimed and walked after him into the room. "She is in custody."

"Oh no!" Fryer said with a shake of the head. "She is mine."

"What are you talking about, she is yours? This has nothing to do with IA."

"Wrong again. She is working for me."

If anything that floored Steve to the ground. He motioned with sharp movements for Fryer to follow him out so that he could talk to him privately, he did not take it lightly when someone walked all over him in his own house. Fryer was going to hear what he had to say, no one messed with his family.

After they had battled their will against each other, just like he could hear Kono and Chin doing inside the interrogation room, Fryer started to fill him in on how it all started. They had had the dirty ex-cops that Kono had hung out with the last couple of weeks under investigation. Those same men had been in business with their second murder victim, Karl Joiner. Fryer used to Kono to get inside the organisation, apparently she was attractive to them because she was Five-0 and they were known for their recklessness, another fault of Steve's. Steve was just starting to accept Fryer's intentions when he heard Chin as he was getting louder in the interrogation room.

"You don't understand! Do you know who Frank Delano's partner was when he was on the job? Do you know?" He yelled. Steve had never heard Chin this worked up before. "It was Fryer! Delano almost took Fryer down with him when he lost his badge. Don't you get it?! Fryer is using you, he is using you to get revenge."

That was all Steve needed to change his mind. Fryer was using Kono to get his revenge, to get even with his old partner and that was all he needed to know that he had blackmailed Kono to work for him. He willingly put Kono in danger for a vendetta and he showed no remorse what so ever. Kono on the other hand, now that it was out there his old Kono was back and he would be damned if his admiration for her did not grow. She had done all this to protect the team even though they had all let her down immensely.

Steve did not want to let her go off on her own, he could not risk losing her again, not now when he could finally do something to help her. But she was stubborn and managed to convince both him and Chin to let her go in again, saying it was the only way they could save Trisha's life. The entire time they were sitting in that van, waiting for what he really did not know, he kept pacing back and forth, he had never been so nervous and impatient in his life. But that was something he was soon going to have to eat up.

When they arrived at the bank that Kono had just entered with Delano and Trisha Joiner and they heard gunshots, just before Delano came running out with Trisha as hostage, Kono nowhere to be seen, he was seconds away from having a heart attack. He couldn't breathe properly until Kono came stumbling out of the bank, holding her bandaged arm. The first thing he did after seeing that she was okay, was walking up to Fryer and punch him right in the face. Nothing had ever felt so good and the throbbing pain in his hand was so worth it.


	2. Chapter 2

Danny's mouth was moving a hundred miles per hour and he was waving his arms in every possible direction as he fiercely complained about another thing Steve had supposedly done wrong. But Steve did not hear a single word that was coming out of his mouth. He was too focused on the figure who had suddenly appeared behind Danny and walked through the glass-doors. And even after all this time they had the ability to take his breath away.

Steve had not seen Kono for over a week, not since they had quiet and very short conversation outside in the carpark before Chin came out to drive her home. Not much was said really, but it was obvious that neither longer knew how to act around each other or where they stood anymore.

 _Steve was walking out of the Palace towards his car when he spotted Kono leaning against Chin's car further down. She looked as if she was to drop to the ground at any second. Her entire weight was held up by the car and she was clearly struggling to keep her eyes open. Steve was feeling exactly the same, it was pure will that made him stay awake. It was late, the sun had gone down over an hour ago, and they had had a very emotional and exhausting day. He had no idea of what he was going to say or what she even wanted to hear, but he knew that not walking over to her and pretend he had not seen her was not an option. So he changed course and walked across the carpark._

 _Coming to a stop he leaned up against the car next to her and waited for her to turn her attention from her feet to him. When she finally raised her face, Steve could see apprehensiveness written all over it. It looked almost as if she was expecting him to yell at her for a moment. He winched inside knowing that his actions in the interrogation room had left a clear mark with her and that it was all his fault that she was now wary of him. How was he ever going to redeem himself with her?_

 _A stray piece of hair that had come loose from her messy ponytail flew into her face and all Steve wanted to do was sweep it away, but he suspected that his touch was probably not welcomed. So instead he bit his tongue while curling his hand into a fist within the cover of his pocket. There was a lot of things he wanted to say to her, but he settled for;_

" _How's the arm?" To which Kono let out a small snore, obviously thinking it was just as a ridicules question as he did._

" _Really Steve? How's the arm, that's the best you've got?"_

" _I honestly don't know what else to say, Kono." He sighed. "Except how utterly sorry I am for all of this! If it weren't for me, nothing of this had probably happened. You wouldn't have lost your badge or gotten hurt!"_

 _They were both looking at anything but each other and right now the brick of the Palace looked very interesting to the both of them._

" _We both willingly took that money, Steve. I don't mind taking the blame for it." She said quietly. "What I cannot take is the fact that I had to go through it all alone. It took you guys a week to come by for the first time after they took my badge. I thought we were a family." Never once did Kono raise her voice but Steve could clearly hear all the emotion hidden in it, a year of close experience did come in handy._

" _We are a family!" He pressed on. Steve needed her to know that to him nothing had changed._

" _Are we really? You forget about me or don't deem me important enough to scarify some time for and then I find out that you have replaced me already. How is that family, Steve?"_

" _You have not been replaced!" He growled out. How could she even think that? "Lori has not and cannot replace you in any way! No one can."_

 _Sure Lori was beautiful, there was no denying that, but blondes wasn't really his type. He was more into long and tough brunettes who could kick ass. She was interesting to talk to and she knew a lot about working as a cop, but he never really thought of her as anything but a co-worker. Maybe it was because she had been placed with them by the Governor and was in a way his spy. But mainly it was because she came nowhere close to Kono, for him there was no one else and he wasn't one to play with two balls at the same time._

 _Kono didn't say anything, she just kept staring at the building in front of them and he was racking his brain trying to come up with something that could make this alright._

" _Take some time off." He started. "Or come back tomorrow. Do whatever you need to do to clear your head and make sure you know what you what. But always know that you will always have a place with us Kono, whether that is in two weeks or two months. Just know that we want you back, I want you back. No one is taking your place."_

 _This time he looked at her intently as he spoke. That came out better than he thought it would and he could see that it had the right effect. Kono averted her eyes from the building and turned to look at him for the first time during this conversation. He was trying to read her but she was better of keeping her emotions off her face than from her voice. They stood like that for five minutes, with neither of them saying another word, until Chin came out and walked towards them._

" _Are you ready to go, cus?"_

" _Yeah, I am ready." She moved off the car and went to open the door to the passenger side but he beat her to it. He was awarded a soft smile, a victory in itself, and just before she closed the door she mumbled out a quiet "okay"._

 _He watched them drive away with a small grin on his face. Okay was good, it meant there was hope._

The day after their conversation he found out through Chin that Kono had gone to stay with one of their aunts for a couple of days to relax and heal up from the gunshot but she had given no indication of when she might be back. Now here she was, a week later, looking as beautiful and happy as ever and maybe a little apprehensive.

She took a few tentative steps into the room and took a look around the room like she was taking it all in again. Steve could only imagine what a strange feeling it must be to be back here again after everything she had been through over the last month. Ignoring Danny and his ramblings completely, he walked around him to meet up Kono.

"Welcome back!" He grinned. It had been such a relief seeing her walk through those doors, for a minute there he thought that would never happen again. His lack of attention and warm greeting brought Danny out of his ramblings and made him spin around.

"Kono!" He exclaimed when they caught sight of their beloved rookie. "We have missed you! Now I can stop trying to learn how to work that computer thingy." He indicated to the smart table were Chin and Lori stood smiling.

As always Danny managed to joke away and awkward situation. Kono laughed along as well and let Danny take her in his arms before he lead her over to the others. He let Danny take the lead and brief Kono about their current case, since she seemed to welcome his approach with open arms. They joked around a bit and for a second it actually felt like old times.

After the briefing Kono asked to speak to him alone and he could not help but feel a little bit excited. That had to be a good thing right? But at the same time it made him a little bit nervous, things had still been a little bit awkward when they left things last week and they had yet to talk since. He led the way to his office and waited until Kono had walked inside before he closed the door. Taking the seat behind his desk he waited for Kono to sit down in one of the opposite chairs.

"So how are you feeling?" He asked once she finally sat down.

"I'm good, I just need you to sign this-" She placed a folded piece of paper in front of him on the desk. "And then I will be ready to go to work."

He unfolded the paper and saw that it was her clear bill of health and indeed, all that was needed for to go back to work was his signature. At first he was a little apprehensive, could it really be alright for her to go back to work already, she only got shot last week. Kono could clearly see the concerns on his face and sighed.

"It just light duty for now boss, but I will not be locked into the office. The doctor said that it was just a graze and that as long as I don't overdo it I will be fine!" He questioned the doctor's competence for minute in his head before he reluctantly signed the paper, knowing that Kono would not give up until he did.

"It's really good to have you back!" He smiled and handed back her paper.

"Thank you!" She said and smiled at him for the first time since she arrived. Taking it as good sign he headed straight for a cliff.

"We're having a barbeque at my place on Saturday to welcome Lori to the team and now to welcome you back. How about you and I hit the surf before that and then you can come and help me set up?"

Kono looked at him stunned and surprised that he had asked but she quickly shook herself out of her stupor. "Yeah, I'd like that." She said with a small smile and a spark of something else he could decipher in her eyes.

Standing up they both walked out of his office with smiles on their faces and Steve couldn't help but think that maybe everything would be alright anyway, that he had not messed up completely.

The rest of the day went by pretty smoothly and they moved forward with the case pretty quickly. Their murder led them to a bunch of home invasions that had hit the town for a couple of weeks now and after they had interviewed the victims they finally started to get somewhere, they found their common link that bound it all together. As it often did they were led to someone close to the victim, even though it wasn't always who they thought it was from the start. Which is why he and Danny was walking out to the car to drive over to see their next suspect.

"This guy is highly skilled so I would advise you not to engage in a hand to hand combat with the guy." Came Kono's soft and teasing voice through the speaker.

"Don't worry, I like my gun." Replied Danny before he hung up and they were off.

Steve knew that that was mostly meant for him, he was after all not known for ever backing down from a fight. But of course he did not listen when push came to shove. The minute the perp ran off, Steve was after him and chased him across roofs and down streets until they ended up inside a storage facility and the perp managed to get a jump on him. In his defence he really didn't have much choice, he had to defend himself. The guy put up a good fight and even got in a couple of good punches, but Steve managed to get in a lucky strike and get the upper hand.

"Did you not hear what Kono said?! What did she say, Steve? Do not engage in hand to hand combat. Do you remember her saying that?"

"I might remember something like that." He grinned as he slapped the cuffs onto their guy.

They caught their guy, a man who was not the man whose shoulder he had dislocated earlier, and they could finally leave for the day. But his ignorance to Kono's words managed to catch up to him even before he made it out of the door. The guy he had hurt was supposed to fight in a big charity fight and now because of Steve the fight might not happen, so Steve acted impulsively again and offered to do the fight himself. As he spoke the words he could practically feel Danny glaring holes in his back.

Of all the dumb things he had ever come up with this might be one of the dumbest. They all tried to talk him out of it, Lori and Danny tried until the last second when he climbed into the ring, everyone except Kono. She just wore the same all-knowing smile when he offered his "services" and when she caught his eye as he walked towards the ring. He did not have long to dwell on it though because less than ten seconds into the match his opponent knocked him out with one hard blow. It was his dumbest idea for sure.

It became like a deja-vu when Kono came over to him afterwards and handed him an icepack before taking the seat next to him. The ironic thing was that Lori had just left him to do just that.

"How is the face, "Oh Great Warrior"?" She said while wearing that all-knowing smile again.

"You knew this was going to happen?!" He frowned. Of course she did.

"One of my cousins took me to one of these games once… Let's just say that I knew you had no chance." A melodic laugh escaped her lips and Steve could not even pretend to be cross with her, it had been so long since he witnessed Kono being so carefree.

"And you didn't try to stop me, why?"

"Would you have listened?" She said in that "come on"-voice of hers. "Danny and Lori tried but you went ahead with it anyway."

"I might have listened to you." He grumbled, but he knew that it would not have mattered what she said, he would have gone through with it anyway.

"Yeah, right!" Kono snorted and leaned back in her chair.

They sat like that in silence and watch their surroundings. Another match had just started in the ring so the place was loud with cheers and shouts. Max was one of them, apparently he had found a liking to the sport and was cheering on with passion. That guy never ceased to surprise Steve, the things he did and the things he knew were absolutely out of this world. He laughed at the guy when he stood up suddenly and so violently that he made Kamekona spill all of his popcorn. Kono must have seen it too because her laugh rang through his ear. Steve glanced over at Kono where she sat next him and watched her through the speck of light that sometimes came their way in the dark arena. It felt really nice just sitting like this with her. They teased each other but they did not feel the need to fill the silence with meaningless conversation like Catherine had so often done. She had felt it important that they talked since he was such a closed off guy, but Kono did not seem to mind. She let him be and seemed to enjoy the comfortable silence as well.

Her hand was lying limb on the space between them, it was like it was begging for him to hold it. What harm could it do? It was dark and they seemed to be alright, the worst thing that could happen would be that Kono pulled away. He let his own hand fall limb to his side until it lay next to Kono's on the space between them, then when he was sure she was not looking he moved his hand until it was lying on top of hers. He let out a breath he had not realised he was holding when she didn't pull her hand away, but instead weaved their fingers together. She did not look over at him but when he looked over at her he could see her mouth forming into a smile.

Five minutes. Five minutes was all he got before he spotted Lori approaching them fast, the icepack in her hand. He squeezed Kono's hand one last time before pulling away just in time for Lori arriving.

"Hey, I found the icepack!"

"Yeah, um thanks but Kono already brought me one." He mumbled and held up the bag with an awkward smile.

"Oh, okay." Her bright smile fell for a second before she put it back on and sat down in the empty chair on his other side.

Suddenly Steve felt very awkward. He knew that Lori was a touchy subject to Kono by the way she tensed up as Lori sat down and Steve could understand why even though he thought it was ridicules. Lori came at a time when Kono felt powerless and vulnerable, she joined the team and easily fitted in in the bunch which made Kono feel insecure. He also hoped it had something to do with him and Lori's apparent interest in him, that there was some jealousy involved. It would give him confirmation of her interest in him and boost his ego a little bit.

But sitting in between these two women only made him nervous, he did not want Kono to take this the wrong way and he did not want Lori to read too much into it. He was sitting between the woman he liked and the woman he was trying to convince the woman he liked that he had no interest in. It could not get more awkward than that.


	3. Chapter 3

Steve should have known better. It was stupid and could not bring anything but trouble, he understood that the moment Lori hobbled into the office on crutches and he saw Kono's face fall. She never lost face, she ran to Lori's assistance and helped her sit in the chair but he knew that Lori's story about their morning together hurt her. Steve honestly didn't know why he did it, he didn't even consider how it would look to Kono and how she would take it when he had accepted Lori's invitation.

Lori had called him yesterday morning and told him that she was going for a run on the stairs and wondered if he wanted join her. He needed to work out anyway so he did not see why he could not do it with Lori. But looking back at it now he could see why it was such a bad idea. Steve knew that Lori was interested in him and he knew that Kono was jealous even though she did not want to admit it, it was a sore spot. Things had finally gotten somewhat semi normal between them after they spent the day together on the beach. But now he could have blown it yet again.

 _The seconds ticked by until the hour was finally struck and he could get out of the car. Steve had been parked outside of her house for almost ten minutes but they had said eight o'clock and he did not want to seem too eager. Taking two steps at the time he was knocking on the front door and barley a second later it was opened by a smiling Kono, dressed in a large white dress shirt and shorts._

" _You did not have to wait out in the car you know." She laughed and walked back into the house, leaving the door open for him._

 _Cursing himself for his stupidity, Steve stayed out on the porch while listening to Kono's laughter from inside the house. How he thought he would get away with sitting outside her house he had no idea. If Danny were ever to find out how he embarrassed himself in front of Kono every time, Steve would have to move to another country or he would never hear the end of it._

 _Kono returned two minutes later with her towel and board in hand, all ready to go, but she looked slightly nervous. Steve on the other hand was not nervous at all but eager to start their day. He had been looking forward to this the entire week and could not wait until he got to spend some time with just her and away from prying eyes so they did not need to be careful of being caught. The beach had felt as a pretty safe bet. Both of them loved the beach, neither Danny or Lori surfed and Chin was too busy spending quality time with Malia to go out for a surf. Then she was going to come home with him and set up for the barbeque before the team arrived. An entire day with just Kono. Steve could not imagine anything better really._

 _When they arrived at the beach Kono ran into the water immediately, he had barely parked the car before she was out of it. And he once more caught himself smiling like a goof. That girl surely loved the ocean. This was the first time Kono was allowed out on the water after her gun shot, she had just gotten her stiches out and the all clear from the doctor. Hurrying out of the car he ran after her, pulling off his shirt as he went._

 _Steve sat on his board and watch Kono take wave after wave, she never seemed to tire of it. They had been out there for over an hour and he had yet to see her take a break. Personally he was starting to feel a little sore. He was used to extensive exercise and extreme conditions but he used completely different body parts then and it was starting to feel. Kono seemed to notice his lack of participation and paddled over to him instead of catching another wave._

" _Slacking off, Commander?" She laughed as she sat next to him._

" _How are you not tired right now?"_

" _Years of experience." She laughed. "Plus, I have not been out here for weeks, there has not really been time. It feels really good."_

" _I can see that! You are really killing it out there!"_

" _Thank you!" She gave him a smile before turning back to watch the other surfers around them. "So are you ready to head in?"_

" _Yeah!"_

 _Steve followed her into shore and took a seat next to her in the sand. He sat close to her, closer than was appropriate for a platonic relationship and so close so he could feel the heat radiating from her body, but Kono did not seem to mind. In fact, if he wasn't imagining things she was even leaning a little closer to him._

" _So how come you got into surfing anyway?"_

" _My mother." She said in an absent voice. "She loved everything about the ocean and had me on a board before I could walk. It was something we did together, explore the ocean every free moment we had. Until she got sick."_

" _I'm really sorry, Kono."_

" _It's okay, really." She squeezed his hand before taking it back._

" _I'm not just talking about your mom. I am sorry about everything! Your suspension… Us… Everything. I'm sorry!"_

" _Steve!" She said tiredly. "We've already talked about this. I get it. It hurt. But I get it now." When he looked over at her she was staring pointedly at the ocean and her face was filled with different emotions._

" _I know! I just wanted to make sure you understand that nothing has changed for me. You are Kono, our fierce rookie and nothing can change that or replace you. Not the Governor, not Fryer and definitely not Lori. She is now a part of the team but so are you, you always have." He reached over and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him. "Lori cannot replace you!" He stressed, making sure he got his point across._

" _Does she know that?"_

 _Her reply was soft and Steve was pretty sure he had never heard Kono that venerable before. She was tough and guarded all the time. Everyone knew that she hated showing weakness and he knew that it was taking everything she had to say what she wanted right now._

" _Why?" He teased, trying to lighten up the mood again. "Are you jealous, Miss Kalakaua?"_

" _Don't be stupid!" She snorted and bumped her shoulder with his._

" _Because if you were, it would be pretty be pretty hot."_

" _Of course a guy would think it was hot to have two women chasing after him."_

" _I am not interested in Lori!" That was all he could say about it and it was all he was going to say too. He was not interested in Lori, sure he had played with the idea for one fleeting moment but he had dismissed it as soon as it came to him. Kono had etched herself into his mind and for some reason Steve did not mind the least._

 _Kono did not reply to his statement but just kept staring straight ahead and Steve took that as a sign that she did not want to talk about it, the stubborn woman. She did not like to be proved wrong or put on the spot. He had done both. But Steve needed to know if she believed him or not, it was obvious though that that would not be today._

 _After a while they left the beach and went back to his place and took turns in the shower before they went out grocery shopping. The mood picked up after he cracked a joke in the car in the way over to the store and they spent the rest of the day joking around, easily falling back into old patterns again, something Steve had thought was lost for good. When they were finally done prepping all the food for tonight, the second best thing that day happened._

 _Steve reckoned that they deserved some well-earned downtime after a hectic afternoon at the shops and in the kitchen, so when Kono closed the door to the fridge after putting in the final item, Steve grabbed her hand gently and led her through the house with a warm smile. He led her out into the backyard and over to the hammock that was resting in the shade from the huge flower bushes and sat down before tugging on Kono's arm for her to join him. The fierce rookie fell into his lap and he quickly arranged them on the hammock into a more comfortable position._

 _"Are you comfortable now commander?" Kono laughed at his cheek._

 _"Very!" Steve said and feeling brave he placed a tender, open mouthed kiss to the crook of Kono's neck._

 _But Kono did not seem to mind. In fact she did not seem to mind at all. Instead of pulling away, she leaned into his chest and closed her eyes. Seeing her relax so completely, Steve allowed himself to close his eyes as well and leaned deeper into the cushions. Every once in a while Kono's fingers would draw random patterns on his arms and Steve's hands would find their way under Kono's shirt to rest on her stomach as he planted more kisses on her neck. They stayed like that, enjoying the light breeze and soft conversation, up until Steve's phone buzzed in his pocket with a text from Danny telling him that they were on their way. It was very reluctantly that he let go of Kono and let her stand up before following her back into the house._

 _When the others turned up they had set the table out on the lanai with all the food and started the barbecue. First through the door was Danny and Grace, closely followed by Lori. Then came Kamekona who had somehow found out about their little gathering and lastly came Chin and Malia hand in hand. Grace ruled the conversation for the first half hour, eager to tell them all what she had accomplished at school lately and they were all eager to listen. Somehow Steve had managed to end up between Kono and Lori once again. It was like the gods were messing with him and smiling down from above. While he was trying to maintain a polite and honest conversation with the people around the table, he was also trying to keep his hands off Kono. Something that was proving to be very hard. His hand would always find its way to her knee or entwine with hers, there was no stopping it. Steve liked the feel of her warm skin and found himself not wanting to let go._

 _The night moved along and they stayed out on the lanai until the sun went down and it started to cool down. By then Grace was already on the verge of falling asleep in her chair and Kamekona did nothing to hide his yawns, so they decided to call it a night and pack it up. They all helped clean up and put the dishes away before it was time to leave. Danny was the first to leave and Kamekona was not far behind. Steve noticed Lori linger and waiting for everyone to leave, but when Kono asked if she could use the bathroom Lori realised that it would look weird if she dragged her feet any longer and left. The second the door closed behind Lori, Steve could hear the bathroom door open and then Kono came walking towards him with a pretty blush to her cheeks. She was refusing to look him straight in the eye, clearly embarrassed, as she walked over to her things and started to get ready to leave._

 _Steve walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Will you stay tonight?" He asked softly and tightened his arms around her. He really did not want her to leave after the great day they had had together._

 _"Steve..." Steve could hear the conflict in her voice. She wanted to stay but at the same time she was not sure if it was the right thing. But he cut her off before she could get too far._

 _"Firstly, both of us has been drinking so neither of us can drive you home."_

 _"You planned this didn't you?" Kono laughed._

 _"Maybe." He said cheekily and it earned him a second laugh. "Secondly," he started again with the same tone he had when he asked her to stay. It was vulnerable and pleading. "I really want you stay. I am not ready for our day to end."_

 _Without waiting for some kind of response Steve grabbed her hand and pulled her along up the stairs to his bedroom. He closed the door behind them before pulling her down on the bed, not bothering to remove their clothes. That was not what he had on his mind at the moment, he just wanted to hold her and enjoy having her close. Gathering Kono close he closed his eyes and let out a long breath. Maybe he would finally get some sleep tonight._

They had been fine for merely a week and he had already managed to screw it up. For him it was just training, but he could clearly see why it was a problem for Kono. Steve was constantly try to reassure her that despite Lori's interest in him, he was not interested in her. Yet he still went away alone with her outside work, fully aware of that to her it was not completely innocent. When Kono had walked out of here a couple of minutes ago she had not even looked at him once.

Steve fell back into his chair and let out a sigh. It was only him left, but he was not in any hurry to get home anymore. The plan was to leave with Kono and grabbed something to eat at one of their favourite places, but it looked like it would be takeout for him since he neither had the energy or the supplies to cook tonight, he really needed to hit the shops. He was not looking forward to go home to an empty house, but it was not like he could stay here all night. Turning of the lamp on his desk, he left the office and walked out to his car.

After a quick stop at his regular Thai restaurant he was driving up to the house, but on the driveway was already a very familiar red car. Steve got quickly out of the car and rushed towards the house. Could it really be that Kono was here, waiting for him?  
And there she was, sitting on the steps to the front porch. She did not say a word, she just watched as Steve made his way towards her and sat down next to her. Steve did not say anything either, he just sat there and waited patiently for Kono to say whatever it was that she came here to say.

"Wha-I- What is this Steve?" She questioned and turned to look at him. The pit in his stomach only grew at the sight of her, Steve had never seen her look this conflicted and confused. "I meen, one second I am staying over and you're telling me that you're not interested in Lori, then the next you are out spending the day with her. I just don't understand, Steve. This is so not me, feeling insecure, but I need to where we stand!"

"I'm not very good with all this, talking and being open. I realise now that this morning was not one of my brightest moments, but to me it was nothing more than a workout session and I did not see the harm in Lori joining me." He grabbed her hand to have something to hold on to. "I am sorry Nani, I can't seem to get anything with you right lately."

"And I am?" She laughed sadly. "I might have been too harsh because I was hurt and it have kind of complicated things hasn't it?"

"But it was not completely without reason either, now was it?" He said and leaned in to sweep away a strand of hair from her eyes. "So how about we go inside and share this." He indicated to the bag in his hand. "Then go to bed and then tomorrow we go over to Kamekona's for lunch together, hold hands and sit together or whatever we feel like doing, not caring about what anyone else has to say."

"I would really like that!" Kono said softly and smiled up at him. Thinking he had been holding back for too long, Steve could not resist to lean in further and place his lips to hers.

"Me too."


End file.
